Leap Frog
by neeth
Summary: A story about four very different individuals and the one man who decides to change their lives forever. “Where there are no winners or losers, just the prospect of oneups and setbacks.” [ItaNaru, Sasuke, Gaara, AU, slash]
1. Punch Heart

**Leap Frog**

**Note:** **This fiction contains BL– a union of 'love' between two males. **

And this is also my very first fan-fiction ever. I'm all for NaruSasu/SasuNaru but I've _always_ been intrigued by ItaNaru, and a few other cracky pairings - all of which aren't heterosexual. Woi woi.

**This has very little to do with actual frogs, so no frogs were harmed during the production of this fanfic.** Watch out for profanities, some sexual references, OOCness, and boys xoxoing other boys.

**Disclaimer:** None of the characters belong to me. They belong to Kishimoto, Masashi or as I like to call him, _Makishi_, creator of the amazing Naruto manga series. Sorry...

But thank you, and have a nice tomorrow.

* * *

**_Chapter One – Punch Heart_**

Every weekday morning it was like this.

He would sit and watch as the senior Leafs played a friendly game of soccer around the court. Actual tryouts were in two months, but Naruto had no intention of joining the team. In fact, Naruto hated soccer. He hated sports of all sorts, and yet he watched.

He watched for _him_.

He watched because _he_ made it interesting - and he'd continue to do so until his big break.

Since he transferred into Konoha High his sophomore year, he refrained from wearing anything off the rack - anything with a nametag attached and whatever his peers accepted as a fad; solely out of fear of wardrobe superstition. In a red suede jacket, black dress top and green knee cut-offs, Naruto didn't dress to impress - for he dressed to leave an impression. _"Everything's strictly handmade minus the shoes,"_ he remembered; his hand traveling down his male blouse - which accented miniature red roses he sewn by hand a few months back - memories overlooking the many headaches and sleepless nights they once gave him.

His commitment to the strict dress code was now less than a year old, and it was all he could do for now if he ever decided to take this impression thing seriously. He had to work two jobs that summer to keep up with rent and suffice his little stitch and sew hobby - barely scraping by with the essential living expenses.

The jacket alone took him the entire summer to make. It didn't keep from the chill and it had yet to be finished up to his potential - but he wore it today for him.

Today he was going to make his move.

Today he was going to be a new man.

Today—

"Hey."

Naruto's head snapped up at the tall green-haired loudmouth Leaf who stood by the bleachers, currently accompanied by the rest of the team. Now under the spotlight he came to the realization that their game was over - his raven-haired crush coming closer his way as he walked side by side with the other Leafs.

Naruto panicked.

_Oh God. It's him. _

_Oh my God. OhmyGod. OhmyGodOhmyGodOhmyGod!_

"Hey, I've been seeing you out here a lot lately," said player started as he grabbed his towel and duffle bags. Highly spiked green hair and all, he was the player with the most Leaf pride, and from observation Naruto concluded he was his infatuation's closest friend. He didn't seem irritated or flattered for that matter either. Just casual. "Are you thinking about joining us? We could use a few rookies like you to pick on."

"NO!" The blonde stammered a little too quickly, causing the Leaf members to laugh in unison. Bowing down and concealing that growing blush of his, he clenched his hands above his knees -fiercely fluttering his eyes to a close.

_Why me? Today was supposed to be different. _

_Today, things were gonna be...un-Naruto._

The field grew quiet.

"Kaaaay. Well, if you ever change your mind, uhh…"

"Naruto. Uzumaki, Naruto," he completed for the senior, his lost confidence somehow returning to his senses.

"Naruto," the player repeated in confirmation. His crush stood by the outspoken green-haired Leaf, offering a small smile. Was it out of pity? Out of humor maybe? He didn't know, but Naruto couldn't help but smile in return-feeling a bit accomplished of his objective.

"Tryouts by first week of December, don't be afraid to ask this guy—"

"Uchiha, Itachi…" Naruto already knew his name. Everyone in town knew the name, but he first found himself obsessing over it when Itachi went to the guidance office for a schedule change two weeks ago. The small blonde was about to change his address and phone information that day, but with no writing utensil. Being the forgetful wreck that he was, he forgot to bring one. It was then that a high-grade steel foundation rollerball with the engraving, _UCHIHA ITACHI_ was dropped on the counter -its pretty self settling directly above his student papers. Dark eyes met blue before Itachi walked away without a word, and since then Naruto's been smitten. _And oh no, I'm daydreaming again._

"Okay. Well. See yer around," the loudmouth said, snapping the present back into his thoughts.

The Leafs were now leaving to hit the showers and whatnot, having hardly been perspired from practice as of the outdoor chill. Naruto felt like he could finally exhale that long breath he had jammed up his throat, nervous eyes slowly returning to the field as he caught sight of the Uchiha staring at him.

Duffle bag and towel in hand, he simply stood there speechless - the rustling of dying leaves and chirping sparrows making up for his habitually blank expression. Naruto wanted to say something. He wanted to stick to his word that he would make a move today, that he would in fact be "a new man," but he couldn't.

The Uchiha beauty had him raw, and he had him good.

"Nice jacket," he finally said smirking, before heading off as well.

* * *

"How long has it been now?"

"About two weeks, tomorrow," the young man answered nonchalantly.

When Uchiha, Sasuke started as a freshman at Konoha High last year he already wanted to make a crime scene out of the old hellhole.

_Blow it up, jump off the roof, transfer out, anything!_

It wasn't always like this though. Everything _was_ perfect. Everything was bright and merry and going as planned, until _he_ came along.

"So, let me get this straight," Haruno, Sakura started, already baffled as they came to a stop by the school's bicycle rails. Clad only in a yellow bohemian skirt and pink blouse even under the nippy weather, she could be described as user-friendly, "The Girl Next Door," some would say. As Sasuke's only childhood acquaintance and classmate, he had his reasons for trusting her today of all days.

_If only she weren't so outspoken sometimes..._

"You're telling me that Gaara...Gaara! Our high school sweetheart, has been picking on you since day one? Honestly Sasuke-kun, I'm beginning to worry. It's been _how_ long and you still haven't asked me out?"

A few heads turned their way considering how loud she was being.

It _nerved_ him.

It nerved him how she was being oblivious about his every word when it came to Gaara. _Gaara this, Gaara that. Just shut the Hell up about him/her/IT already!_

"A little louder so the next town can hear you..." Completely dropping the subject, the dark-haired sophomore walked past her and towards Konoha High's graffiti decorated entrance halls. The typical high school lowlives practically lived by the main entry; their cigarette fumes forming a dark cloud large enough to create its own thunderstorm over the small town of Konoha. He hoped they continued to breed more of their abusive kind, so then that way the damned school would flood under its own hurricane. It would be genocide by natural causes, he thought, and the one good favor the school could ever do for the world.

The building obviously wasn't just suffering from the luxury department, but the Uchihas had no choice but to attend the community school.

Something about setting an example to the common people - or so their father once said.

His feet routinely reached their destination even through the thickly crowded halls; legs randomly skipping over those who chose to park their lazy asses on the floor. Still lost in thought and on autopilot, he dropped his strap bag beneath him before opening his locker - the dials routinely turning to their destined numbers. He looked good today. He _knew _he did. But out of spite he glanced at his locker mirror from the corner of his eyes. Time seemed to have stopped as he checked himself out. If it weren't for the white tee with the black skull print and the dark-blue fitted jeans, he'd say he wasn't a hundred percent in love with himself.

_All I have to do now is—_

"Good moooorning, U-chi-ha."

"Shit," he muttered at his mirror, already catching a glimpse of the red-haired devil.

The young brunette slammed his locker door shut, forcing his full attention at the smaller boy standing by him.

"What now Gaara?" he asked in annoyance.

_Please behave. _

_Please don't fuck me over. _

**_Please..._**

Gaara's hair was a light fuchsia that day; the professional pink pigmenting leaving no hint of his naturally red strands. On the side he had pink little hairclips on with imitation sunflowers glued to the ends, the décor effortlessly merging with the red tattoo on his forehead. He was cute, perhaps too cute, for his delectability was like strawberry shortcake - the consequently hazardous sort with too much cream filling, too many hidden flavors and calories without the tall glass of milk to wash it down. Entirely in pink and white with black cut-off gloves, he covered his mouth with his hands as he giggled away, his pink nails sparkling like glitter even in the shabby halls.

"I missed you yesterday. I was out sick. Gomen ne? _Sasuke-kun_."

It was sickening how he mimicked Sakura so accurately with all the apologies and the pet names. Sasuke could barely stand just one Sakura, nevertheless two.

"Whatever," he grunted.

"That's okay U-chi-ha. You can get me that get-well card by next week," he cooed, his back now leaning against the beaten lockers with a soft ping.

They then stood in awkward silence for some time, Gaara silently encouraging a reaction, and Sasuke going in favor of an explanation to the greeting card deal. Refusing to get stuck in the dumb quiet they were in, Sasuke mouthed a response - a response that was miraculously saved by the bell.

The halls grew less crowded as first period commenced, allowing Gaara a chance to twist his smile into one of his terrifying sneers before stressing, "I'll make up for lost time…"

Now Sasuke certainly felt no guilt playing victim here. He was the victim – he still is the victim! And it was chilling how Gaara looked at him so menacingly. Gaara had no reason to put so much energy in making his life a living hell here at Konoha High - for Sasuke never asked for any trouble. He just wanted to pass the top of his class then get the hell out, go Ivy League, find himself a trophy wife, pop a few kids, play golf, and die with a real fucking incredible social security plan.

_The Konoha dream..._

Sighing as he reached down for his strap bag, he realized it had no straps.

Someone unhooked them.

No. Someone _stole_ them.

_What. The fuck? _

"Amateur," he muttered - grabbing the load with both hands before furiously marching to class.

* * *

"Ya-hoo, Sasuke-kun! Over here!"

It was lunchtime, and Naruto wasn't all that hungry. Sakura and Ino sat on the Uchiha Ass-Kissers' table religiously, which regrettably was one table away from him. He watched as Sasuke slammed his handicapped-school bag on the table, obviously fuming over something. It made him nauseous how girls still wanted him even with all that attitude he carried around.

"_Why can't he be more like Itachi?"_

"Hmm? What was that, Naruto?" his friend of eight days asked as he joined the table, hands busy with his lunch. Shikamaru didn't always get himself involved in other people's business, and he knew this, but considering the fact that his head was on the table Shika had reason to ask.

Their other lunch mate Kiba later joined them. TenTen followed suit.

"Naruto, you alright?" someone asked. He didn't care to know.

"Unn. Not all that hungry. Think I'll skip for today."

He lifted his head and smiled lopsidedly. No one protested for they only nodded in uncertainty, so with that he left.

He wondered if the library was open that hour and if he'd even want to go if it were.

It drove him nuts how he was always so indecisive and irresponsible.

He had no clue why he was at Konoha High. He figured he wouldn't even make it past the tenth grade, considering how things for him were going in a never-ending downwards spiral leading to one direction; downwards. But like a good boy he found the library all by himself, truly a pat-in-the-back moment for the short blonde. He stopped by the checkout desk to find his Uchiha-genius seated at the far center by the windows, possibly searching for grammatical errors in the school's dictionary.

"May I help you?" the librarian asked, completely taking him off-guard.

His voice reminded Naruto of hissing snakes, and if the library was all made out of white he would perfectly blend in.

_...'cause he's so friggin pale!_

"I'm good. Thanks."

Taking a deep breath, he walked further into the library, his mind repeating the lines of confession he rehearsed the previous night:

"_Hi...Sorry to bother you but I've been meaning to get this out of my chest. Ever since I met you two weeks ago, I've felt something...and I can't get you out of my mind? Et cetera et cetera?"_

Was it too early to say? If not, was it too clichéd? Would it scare him away if Naruto ever admitted his infatuation for the older boy? There was only one way to find out and that was to say it.

He would worry about the consequences later.

Giving it a shot he broke the silence in the library by ferociously plopping himself down on the seat directly across from the dark-haired beauty, its thick metal legs violently grating the sparkly wooden tiles - one of the library's most prized possessions.

_Well to Hell with elegance..._

Disrupted from his studies, the young man gracefully looked at him with his head resting on his hand.

He said nothing, for there was nothing to say.

He looked bored.

Intimidating.

"H-hi. Itachi…" Naruto struggled, his voice dying in volume through each word, "I meant to tell you sooner, err—"

_This is it..._

"I…uh…"

_Come on, you can do it..._

"Here's…your pen."

_What? _

"Un."

_Huh? _

_THAT WAS IT?_

Reaching deep into his backpack, he pulled out the gorgeous rollerball - the pretty steel lining glistening even under the shadow of his grip. Just as he was about to hand it over Itachi stopped him.

"Keep it," he said hesitantly. His bangs loosely hovered over his eyes but Naruto couldn't help but feel mesmerized by them.

Somehow they made him feel…exposed.

Somehow they made him feel...naked.

_He's letting me keep it! OhmyGodOhmyGodOhmyGodOHMYGOD._

"Thank you..."

Itachi smiled, his teeth too vain to bare themselves even for the young blonde.

"I never said it was for free..."

"...eh?"

"You can keep it in one condition."

_Uh oh._

"You have to give me your number."

* * *

_Jesus. Fucking. CHRIST! _

_Why? _

**_Why_**_ did professor Hatake choose to hand out our textbooks **TODAY**?_

"Late bastard..."

To be honest he had no reason to complain, because overall it was a pretty good day – until his literary professor decided to test his strength with a _very_ late release of their big fat and heavy textbook. And to add more pain to injury he assigned homework on it, which was due the very next day, so Sasuke had no choice but to carry it home.

In his bag.

_With no strap..._

He chose to leave some of his books back in his locker, knowing he just might regret it later.

It wasn't his fault he could only carry so much.

"Yaaa-hoo!"

Sasuke turned around. It was about an hour after school let out and he wasn't expecting any other students at this hour.

Especially ones who personally knew him.

"Looking for this?" Like a cockroach, Gaara appeared from behind one of the building's support columns. He held up Sasuke's bag strap high in the air as he giggled, waving it triumphantly as if he won the Olympic gold medal for stealth. Thankfully however, the strap didn't look diseased.

"Actually no. Do you mind? I'm busy." _Yes. Discourage him. Take that Gaara!_

That was when Itachi's sports car pulled up in front of him with a screeching halt, its rims illuminating the bright red finish of the vehicle. Sasuke usually waited for him since they both had after-school activities, so the timing was less than coincidental, but it sure felt like it. A wave of victory grabbing a hold of his emotions as he reached for the car door, he turned to say goodbye - yet no one was there.

**

* * *

**

**5:22 PM **

The community bus was taking forever picking him up that afternoon, which was just his luck, because he was anxious to get home early just in case an important _someone_ happened to call. His apartment was located near the school and yet too far to walk in manageable time, so he reluctantly waited, contemplating between walking and hitchhiking. The long journey home by foot seemed aim-able once he skipped off the sidewalk however, but then he spotted the bus -its headlights subliminally telling him to wait – _'I'm coming.'_

It was a long wait nonetheless, his anticipation causing the trashy big-wheeler to run in slow motion until finally it stopped -the closed flap teasing the would-be passengers shivering from the autumn chill. Naruto growled under his breath when another one of his peers skipped him in line, short pink hair twirling in a circular motion as he, or she, turned to face him.

He remembered spotting the other around the bathroom stalls once or twice back at school, affirming it was actually a boy. Out of charity he smiled and let the move slide, his poor choice of judgment rewarding him the unexpected.

_Did he just stick his tongue at ME?_

**6:12 PM**

Naruto wobbled his way out, finding the outside chill now more relaxing than the unneeded air-conditioning he had to endure in the bus.

His building had no doorman and no security guard; just two regularly empty vending machines and one working elevator. The lobby was dim, and the yellow walls were no prettier than elaborate pee stains on their canvases.

To put it simply - it was a dump.

Two flights of stairs later he ran over to the door of his studio in excitement, furiously jamming his keys into the several keyholes decorating it. Once he made his way in he checked his voice messages.

There were none.

_Not to panic. Right?_

He took a quick shower before changing into his Looney Tunes pajamas. Naruto loved the huge Tweety bird printed on the back of the pajama top. Male or female, he had no idea what the little shit was, but he loved Tweety.

One instant beef bowl and raw egg later, his eyes scanned the hanging clock by the kitchen.

**7:40 PM**

_"Okay. Why am I acting like a fucking girl?"_

Deciding it was time to hit the books and start on his homework, the phone rang.

Naruto froze like a convict caught in the act, the temperature in his apartment suddenly dropping below zero.

Snapping out of his psychological-winter, he dashed for the phone.

"H-hello?"

"Naruto?"

"Y-yes. It's him speaking," he gulped.

"Hey. It's Shika."

"SHIKAMARU!" Disappointed he repeated, "Shikamaru? Why are _you_ calling _me_?"

"Were you expecting someone else?"

"Actually, YES. Yes! I was..." Sighing in relief at how rude and picky he was behaving, he apologized, "Listen, I'm sorry for the way I reacted, it's just..."

"Uh huh. Well I only called to see if you were alright but since I'm convinced you're still Naruto, I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Thank you…" Naruto smiled, knowing on the other end Shikamaru was smiling in return, as he patiently waited for a click and a dial tone before hanging up. Back to his dining table he reluctantly returned to his homework.

Books and Naruto did not mix, and somewhere along the line he felt himself drifting to sleep.

He remembered waking up several times, having rescued two dreams from drowning in his memory. He overslept -and possibly ruined his chances of ever talking to the Uchiha beauty a second time. Knowing this, he grew afraid to look at the clock.

_I won't look at the clock._

_I won't look at the clock..._

**10:05 PM**

Still no sign of Itachi, and now the worst-case scenarios were flowing in. The thought of him being kidnapped, no—kidnapped and _murdered _crossed Naruto's mind. He refused to believe he'd been played, that he had the wrong idea all along - that he'd just been the victim of a little Uchiha hoax.

_A play thing._

Back to the cruel child labor his teachers liked to call homework, Naruto struggled for the next hour.

**11:11 PM**

He sighed in defeat.

"11:11…Time to make a wish."

* * *

It was crawling towards midnight, and Sasuke was bored out of his mind. Having already prepared everything he needed for tomorrow's boring day at school, he felt like a sleepless-workaholic, and he had reason to. Everything was so easy -so effortless and dull rather. Deal with school, eat dinner, go to sleep, rinse, wash, repeat, it was all the same.

The never-ending cycle—the Uchiha cycle.

_His cycle._

All tucked and ready for bed, he opened up his notebook computer and logged online. Konoha High had its own private chat, something his brother had organized and once moderated years ago. Sasuke used to frequent there during examination days his freshman year, when most of the honor students crash-coursed with the others, but on regular nights like these it was only full of idiots.

"_Ah. Found one."_

Spotting Gaara, he instant messaged him.

"Where'd you go? Punk," he typed. For a while there was no response, the chat itself deeming to be livelier than the conversation they carried - compelling Sasuke to close the window out of disinterest. However it didn't take long for Gaara's annoying fuchsia colored font to appear on his screen.

It was big.

It was _really_ big.

And there were no sentences. Gaara even chose not to write in coherent words.

All it read was, "**:D**"

* * *

**End of first chapter.** Thanks for reading, liking, and/or hating.

Can't believe I had to go over this and correct the errors FF made on my original document.

**Wooow.**

Anyway, props to all the writers out there. **It's so hard to organize your thoughts when it comes to writing.** Not only that but it's even more difficult to start, haha. Bah.

I'll get used to it eventually. Just have to keep practicing right? Right? D:

Okay, I'll shut up for now. Ja ne.


	2. Criminal

**Kyaa.** First of all, I'd like to thank you all for the reviews fufufufu. Some of them really made me snicker hahaha.

Answer to the lemon question – hwa? Yes, someone's bound to get laid, and here's a hint: it ain't Sakura.

And I apologize for the delay (huh? What delay?) I already had this chapter ready to go, but I wasn't going to post it until I completed chapter three, which turned out to be longer than the first...

Now working on chapter four **-dies-**

**Warning:** Watch out for profanities, strong sexual references, and stuff I'd NEVER say in a house of worship…but do think about. A lot.

**Disclaimer:** None of the characters here belong to me. They belong to Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto. Yeah.

* * *

**Chapter Two – Criminal**

Itachi never called.

Naruto stayed up past his bedtime and even rechecked his messages earlier that same morning, but the call never came. And as consequence he woke up late; late enough to make it to his second period class on an empty stomach. He knew there was nothing to be all worked over about, since Itachi never said he would call him that same night, but with all those mixed signals the older boy's been throwing at him he expected some courtesy. Some pity, maybe.

He was upset, he was disappointed, and most importantly, he was hungry.

To sum it all up, Naruto felt like shit.

_Whatever. I don't care anymore._

The rest of his morning classes were spent with his pen up, head down, and for the first time in a longtime he couldn't wait for lunch - the oven baked fries and borderline-fresh fruit sounding appetizing to his raging belly. He was so hungry he thought about nibbling off a chunk of his arm, and if desks were edible he'd eat that too.

In a fitted orange turtleneck and white wool long jacket with matching orange mesh for pockets, he could say he planned his outfit the night ahead. The black slacks and white boots accounted for most of the look, but with the way people were staring at him on his way to the lunchroom he grew anxious.

_People must think I'm made outta Benjamins..._

"Whoa! Whose mansion did _you _break into last night?" Kiba stressed out loud as he, Shikamaru, and TenTen joined their regular table. Naruto never thought Shika's eyes were able to stretch so wide, their new dimensions nearly changing his façade completely. He couldn't help but blush at the embarrassment.

"Just shut up and pass me your lunch…"

It was then that the cafeteria's double entrance doors were slammed open, the walls miraculously surviving a concaving effect from the heavy impact. Everyone froze in familiarity with the sound, for it could only mean one thing:

Someone was in _big_ trouble.

The silence in the cafeteria was deafening as their Headmaster, Tsunade, entered with her famous pearly bullhorn in hand. She then clenched her jaw as fifteen to twenty police officers surrounded the area, the tip of the device now at a kissing length with her lips.

"_UCHIHA, SASUKE...I'M COMMANDING YOU TO LIFT YOUR HANDS UP WHERE WE CAN SEE THEM, AND DON'T MAKE ANY SUDDEN MOVES."

* * *

_

He thought he saw Sakura and Ino turn completely blue out of shock as they stared at their Headmaster with their mouths wide open, their scanning eyes facing no other direction but his. He was used to being in the limelight since the day he learned to walk, but this was beyond the simple groupie publicity he endured all his life.

Frowning as he slowly lifted his hands above his head like he was told, two officers rushed to where he was seated, and as if on cue they dragged him off the bench.

They then patted him down like he was some kind of wanted criminal.

_Wait, AM I SOME KIND OF WANTED CRIMINAL?_

"He's clean!"

"Clean!"

Sasuke thought he heard an echo. Scared to death by it all, he thought he was off the hook until said cop pulled his hands behind his back - sensing something like rings made out of ice wrap themselves around his wrists without warning.

_AM I BEING HANDCUFFED?_

"You have the right to remain silent."

_Huh? WHAT?_

"If you give up that right, anything you say may be used against you in a court of law."

Sasuke could hear babies crying.

"You have the right to an attorney and to have an attorney present during questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided to you at no cost— " one of the officers continued, as they now dragged him away from his peers.

The cafeteria grew wild.

"Officers, WAIT! WHERE ARE YOU TAKING HIM?" Sakura shrieked as she dropped her lunch, her pickled carrots and fruit cocktail fusing into an ugly mess on the ground as she grabbed one of the men in uniform. All Sasuke could think about now was how disappointed he was in the girl, for had she any manners, this would've been settled on a more softer note.

Tsunade interfered, and as if reenacting his thoughts she professed, "Everyone get back to your seats, **NOW**. And I'm sorry but that includes you too, Miss Haruno."

Defeated by authority, Sasuke watched helplessly as Sakura collapsed to the ground. Ino and the other girls rushed to her side, and even the young Uchiha had to gasp in disbelief. First he was getting arrested, and now little miss preppy lost her cool; could it be that Konoha High was taking its first big steps towards being annihilated, even at the expense of his civil rights?

The pink-haired girl now forgotten, the men in uniform led him out of the cafeteria successfully. Sasuke thought it was funny how his head suddenly grew accustomed to facing the ground just like criminals seen on television. But that's who he was now, wasn't it?

_A criminal. _

Konoha High's main entrance by the lobby was already blocked with a swarm of reporters, endless streams of what he thought of as bad fanfare mixed with an abundance of flashing cameras blurred his sight, and clouded his sense of direction. He could already see the headlines now, "Son of Konoha's Most Beloved Senator Arrested For—"

_For..._

_FOR WHAT?_

"Sasuke, how do you feel now that you didn't get to execute your plan?" Not just one but several microphones were shoved at his face, one nearly poking his right eye as if it could give them answers.

"Sasuke, what do you think this means to your father's—"

And that was it. Someway, somehow, he made it into the patrol car. Its door slammed shut behind him, and it became the only thing that separated the borrowed Ford from all the media noise. He should have felt safe - like he was being protected, but that wasn't enough to help fill in the void he was sensing.

For the first time in his life, Sasuke felt conquered—trapped. He was used to getting himself out of the holes others wanted him to plunge into, but this? This was one hole that was carefully plotted beneath not just any pile of ordinary green leaves, but a rose bush - a hole dug far too deep for even the likes of him to pull out of.

Someone framed him, and did one hell of a job at it too.

The car's engine roared, and even as the miles ran and the sirens blared he couldn't hear them at all - for all he could hear now was the sound of his heavily beating heart.

* * *

_Well. _

_That was exciting._

"Don't see that everyday huh?" Kiba grinned mischievously, his fangs sparkling brighter than teeth in toothpaste ads.

Indeed it was nice seeing the young Uchiha at his worst, but even he had to admit that this was _too_ much. The bombshell seemed to have been really overwhelming for the girl seated next to him however, as she soundlessly choked on her food, her face inadvertently veiled by her trembling dark hair.

"Shit. You alright?"

Naruto spared no time. He then stood, and smacked the large of her back out of instinct but to no avail. He could see that she was turning a shade of blue, frantically dry-heaving this time.

"Oh my God."

Remembering what he learned in Health class some time in his life, he went for the Heimlich. Naruto felt heroic as that evil piece of potato flew out of her mouth, just in time for the school nurse and two EMTs to unexpectedly take to the scene after the rescue.

_Where'd they come from?_

"Alright everyone, listen carefully! The entire school is on lockdown as of four this afternoon," Tsunade continued in that blaring horn of hers. Some of the teachers who had lunch that hour entered the cafeteria as a mixture of cheers and boos filled the room.

Naruto sat down.

"Now unless a parent and, or guardian comes to get you, I'm afraid you're all detained here for the next four hours."

_And the crowd goes wild again!

* * *

_

"Itachi, did you hear?"

It was Kisame. His other teammates Deidara and Sasori slipped their way into the library shortly after the announced lockdown, their voices no lower than when they're out in the field.

"Man! You should've seen it!" Deidara grinned, his attitude now as bright as his hair.

Phone in hand and still stationed at his desk, Orochimaru glared at them in annoyance. Itachi could hear sirens coming from outside, and that was enough to perk his interest. Enough for him to shut his books and set them aside.

"Sasuke got arrested! Oh man! I didn't think the little runt had it in him but he did!" Deidara said, as if in no recognition that he was being obnoxiously loud again.

It took a while for Itachi to absorb what he was hearing before he then sighed, frowning, "And I care because...?"

"Itachi, these men would like to have a word with you. In _private,_" Orochimaru interrupted with his arms crossed at his chest.

Kisame and the others grew quiet and nervous at the three officers who stood behind the librarian, one of them motioning for Itachi to get off his seat. The young man frowned once more, knowing he'd have to put on one of his Uchiha masks in winning these guys over now that they obviously wanted to question him. Whatever his brother got himself into, he hoped he was convincing enough to save his own ass.

The hallways were noticeably vacant and noiseless when they exited the library, and Itachi replaced all thoughts of persuasiveness with worry because of it. The officers hesitated a bit, perhaps to see if he could be trusted, before introducing themselves and moving on to the important junk.

"Has your brother said or done anything strange lately? Anything out of the ordinary?"

"I refuse to answer any questions right now," Itachi stated quickly.

_How dumb do they think I am?_

"Mr. Uchiha, you do realize your brother carried unlicensed firearms to school? We would appreciate it if you tried to cooperate with us, even just a little."

* * *

He didn't like it here. 

He _hated_ it here.

Sasuke was moved from that cramped questioning room into a small cell, none less eerie than the other, so he couldn't help but tremble. He settled himself on the corner, the orange bars blurring his vision of the other side; the side he was being exempted from, the side that connects to the rest of the world—the _free_ side.

It drove him nuts. He wanted to get up and scream, "I didn't do jack shit!" or if he felt like playing nice, "Spare me, I'm too young and good-looking to get locked up," but the long bars had a silencing effect on him.

In here he felt so small, so powerless, and he loathed it.

And Sakura.

_Oh God Sakura._

She was devastated. Not just her, but all his other groupies. Sasuke thought about what he would tell them once he got out, or better yet, wonder _if_ he'd ever get out. He didn't even know if he could face his teachers or his fellow classmates ever again. He didn't know if he could ever have a decent life, or _any_ life if he ever got out of this in one piece. And his folks at home, well, he figured his parents must've already disowned him by now, so no matter what angle he chose to look at it, there was no hope.

_And there'll never be any hope._

He didn't know how long he was kept in that cell before one of the stationed officers unlocked the bars, and pulled them apart with practice before saying, "You're out on bail kid."

Sasuke froze, and gawked at the officer in disbelief.

"Wha'dya got? Down syndrome or somethin'? I said you're out on bail."

Sasuke stumbled his way out of the cell, the way a baby would when taking its very first steps to undiscovered ground - to _free_ ground, only to find his father signing release forms by the rear exit of the precinct.

He looked furious.

The young Uchiha paused almost in dread, as his mother instantly rushed towards him, eyes swollen and brimmed with crimson from sobbing all afternoon. She hesitated in hurt, lips trembling to say what didn't need to be said, before she instantly dropped her purse and wrapped her arms around him.

"Thank goodness you're alright..."

* * *

All after-school activities were cancelled that afternoon so he spent an extra hour doing nothing at Konoha High. A lot of students, his friends included, were picked up from school earlier, but considering the fact that Naruto had no parents, he was stuck here until four. 

_Four **friggin'** O'clock._

Police officers and their search dogs still roamed the halls, so he had a sense of how serious the situation was. Walking about out of curiosity, he caught sight of Itachi standing in front of his younger brother's locker, which was now wide open and completely empty, leaving no trace of the young Uchiha of ever having used it. Yellow police lines with the noticeable, "CAUTION: KEEP OUT" sign surrounded the area, the highly saturated yellows standing out like a sore thumb in contrast to the dark halls.

Naruto felt like he was in one of those teen slasher flicks.

_Even the evidence is creepy..._

Ignoring Itachi, Naruto continued to walk past him, but again he felt invisible, _unwanted_ even. Disappointed that the young man chose to keep standing there and stare off into space, Naruto marched right back, his shoes clicking the tiled floors to say that he was in fact here, and he wasn't a happy camper. Itachi still didn't budge, nor did he seem to be bothered for that matter.

Did he even care that his brother's possibly spending the rest of his teenage years behind bars? Was it possible, really, that he was just like his brother—a self-involved, ill-mannered…conniving little rich asshole?

_Whatever. That's none of my business._

"You didn't show up this morning," he said, turning to face him. "I take it soccer finally got boring for you?"

He was stunning under the bright yellow-orange rays echoing the halls from outside, and Naruto felt himself concaving again.

"You're missing the point. That's not why I'm still here..." he muttered, all the while finding the floor very intriguing.

"Ah, struck a nerve…"

Naruto then felt a hand cup his chin; his face still burning from the touch even after Itachi's hand went back to hiding in his pocket. He noticed that the taller boy's eyes were a dark chestnut that afternoon, and that they were lustful…

Even trusting…

That was when something inside Naruto's mind clicked.

_Snap out of it Naruto! He's only messing with you again!_

"I called you last night."

He felt himself grow weak in the knees as the older boy smirked knowingly.

"Really?" he heard himself chirp.

"Yes, but you gave me the wrong number," Itachi nearly grinned, hands now reaching into his jacket pocket. "You still haven't memorized your _new_ digits now, have you?"

Was he mocking him? Still, Naruto felt like such a dumbass. He only moved here about a month ago and he was still mixing up the old and the new. It wasn't the first time this has happened either, and at this point he felt like he'd never be able to adjust.

"I'm really sorry. Here, let me..."

"No…I won't be needing it."

Naruto felt his heart drop at the rejection.

Just when he was about to walk away from the embarrassment, Itachi reached out and grabbed his wrist. He then produced a marker in his hand, writing out what looked like numbers on the back of the younger boy's palm.

If this was Itachi's way of apologizing, Naruto thought, then he forgave him wholeheartedly.

* * *

They ate dinner in silence. Somehow all that commotion he had to suffer earlier made Sasuke lose his appetite. He glanced around the den to see the housemaids standing by the walls with their hands clasped in front of them, as if waiting to take back the dinnerware they had already set on the table. 

"Sasuke, I prepared some salmon and radishes just the way you like them. Here, have some," his mother protested, trying to make conversation as she filled his plate with food.

He thanked her for trying.

His father sipped his tea and read the morning paper in silence, even during the evening. However Itachi chose to eat with his eyes fixed on him.

_Do you know something I don't, Itachi?_

Sasuke forced himself to eat, suddenly finding it very hard to stop.

It was…delicious.

"Funny story really, I had to bargain with some elderly woman for the last set of radishes," his mother laughed. "I hope I'm not that stubborn when I get old."

If Sasuke didn't know any better, he would say that the Uchihas loved awkward silences.

"What made you think you could pull a stunt like that huh? **Sasuke,**" his father started, still refusing to look at him. He thought he heard a clatter, only to see that his mother tipped her wine glass too close to the bottle.

It infuriated him how his father always opted in spoiling any chance he had in redeeming himself. Even now, where discretion was very much called for, his father chose to be a prick.

"How many times do I have to tell you? I'm…I'm innocent."

_I'm not going to fight with you..._

_Please, not right now..._

_Just let it go..._

_**Let it go.** _

"Do you think I care? Even if they found proof of your innocence, do you think that's going to be enough to erase the damage you've caused? Not just to me, but to the Uchiha legacy?"

_"You've got some nerve calling it a legacy..."_ he muttered, knowing his brother was the only one who heard him, and wishing his father had caught it instead. 

Itachi decided now was the time to bail, apologetically bowing his head before excusing himself from the dinner table. A cowardly act for any other regular sitting with them, but for Itachi, everything he did was legit. Even isolating himself from the rest of the Uchiha niches was one of his many freedoms. As long as it was Itachi, it was A-Okay, and Sasuke desperately wanted that kind of supremacy he practically envied it. He envied all the power his brother possessed; power that could never be handed down to him even if his brother, God forbid, dropped dead.

Things were quiet around the dinner table, but that didn't mean his father chose to cut him some slack. He pretended like he couldn't feel him watching his every move intently like a hawk, his role as prey now tiring and overdone. Sasuke set his bowl and utensils on the table as he tensed once more out of annoyance from the dual silent treatment. He absently looked upon his half-eaten supper, almost in preparation for what he knew would come next.

"Ohhh! Let's look on the bright side shall we? The Hyuuga's must be thrilled you're making a mockery out of me. Isn't that right sweetheart?"

That was it.

His father broke the last straw.

"Is that all you care about? You and your stupid image? Your campaign? You're quite the politician, **Old Man.**"

"Sasuke!" his mother heaved disapprovingly.

He was used to it by now. He was already used to being placed after everything else. Second place to Itachi, third place to the Senate seat. But he had to admit; it was rare of him to come off as a total fuck-up. Of course his father had his reasons to be angry, but Goddammit he was innocent!

"I…I have to go. I need some air."

"Sasuke!"

"Let him be. And if he doesn't come back that's one mouth less to feed," he wished he hadn't overheard his father say, before he made his way out the door, and out to the rest of the world—the free world.

* * *

End of second chapter. Thanks for reading! 


	3. Social Disease

Put a little too much of my summer to waste – boo. But school, soon, oh noes. At least it means more time to write, because with other written work to do I'll definitely be spending more time on this – Belieeeve it! Haha.

**Kyaa.**

**Warning:** Watch out for OOCness, MA stuffies such as profane words, strong sexual references, some violence, and things even I am unsure of. Yeah.

**Disclaimer:** None of the characters here belong to me. They belong to the Naruto guy. Kishimoto, Masashi. MaKishiiiii cha-cha-cha!

* * *

**Chapter Three – Social Disease**

Kankuro was out with friends that evening, which forced her to involuntarily watch the house alone. And because she never had any problems house-sitting before, today would have been like any other, if it weren't for the alarming truth that struck her that night.

Temari nervously nibbled her nails for what seemed like the millionth time, completely unaware that she was chipping off the expensive pastels adorning them. Had this been any other day she would've cared, but it wasn't. Because today brought no sign of Gaara, and it was already past dinner.

Something was definitely wrong.

They always ate together—always. Right after that day, it was just the three of them, Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara. No more and no less.

She knew that their household had no place for conversation, but she and Kankuro wanted to change all that. It was the reason why they moved, why they had to get away and start all over again, so she refused to let all their hard efforts go to waste. But even as Gaara's eldest she still feared getting through to him, and the same could be said for Kankuro.

_Because everyone feared Gaara._

Temari sighed at this, then released her short blonde locks from the rubberbands that held them. She was tired as hell, furiously combing her hair with her hands in frustration. Not only was Gaara missing, but their neighbor's puppy, Pumpkin, was missing as well.

So far it's been less than a week since Pumpkin went astray, which was enough reason to voluntarily search for him on her own. And so, she spent her entire afternoon looking high and low for the little critter, but to no avail.

Pumpkin was the town's terrier, and Mrs. Sato's pride and joy. She had to find that dog because Temari took her neighbor's problems as if they were her own. That's how much she appreciated the woman for kindly inviting them into the community, when everyone else shied away at the fact that a parentless group of teenagers were moving in.

It wasn't surprising how it was such a pain to find that damn dog.

"_...Someone must've dognapped him by now."_

Her body released itself from all the stress, as she shut her eyes and sunk her head beneath the thick layer of foam and bathwater. Then she thought about her original hometown and the beauty of its sea; even going as far as pretending to be a mermaid of the seas, knowing she'd eventually stop pretending and pull herself up. But it excited her, bubbling out of air like this. The chills that ran down her spine made it even more enticing underwater—naughty even.

_"Hey Gaara, if I died...would you miss me?"_

That was when she felt the vibratos of the front door slamming shut. She then waited for any other sounds to make sure she wasn't imagining things. And coincidentally, it didn't take long to hear a pair of footsteps and keys chiming from downstairs.

Perspiration and anxiousness got the best of her as she rushed out of the tub, fastening her bathrobe as if her life depended on it. She then ran down the stairs in the dark, eyes squinting to a close when she bumped into the new arrival.

"Watch where you're going, wench."

She winced.

It wasn't very often Gaara chose to talk to them, but whenever he did…

_...it hurt._

"Where were you all afternoon?" she asked, her voice low, but firm. She could feel her pulse racing in the process, knowing there was more she wanted to ask, like what went on during the lockdown, the alleged arrest, and his whereabouts when it all happened. But for now, she just wanted to know why he missed dinner.

Cigarette in hand, he ignored her and continued mounting up the staircase. The bitter fumes filled her nostrils in retort, but he seemed to be in a particularly good mood. Once he reached to the top he paused, almost as if in speculation of the house, as if he were viewing it for the very first time.

His back still facing her, he replied, "Tell Mrs. Sato I found her dog."

_So that's all it was?_

Temari sighed in relief, now wanting to share the good news with the woman next door.

Feeling no need to intrude her brother anymore, she headed for the phone by their living room. A dancing shadow coming from outdoors caught her attention however, as she cradled the touchtone by her ear. Curious, she walked closer to the large windowsill of the den, and dropped the phone in recognition to what she saw.

Through the fence, Mrs. Sato's puppy could be seen dangling from the lamppost in her yard. Parts of his inner organs were beginning to spill on their modest garden of orchids, as dark red pieces of pulp and flesh adorned the little creature. It was all that made up for what used to be an adorable and lively dog.

And so, even in the middle of the night when the neighborhood was still, and where loving mothers and fathers were now tucking their children to bed, she screamed.

* * *

Summertime. 

Itachi didn't like being outdoors during the summer.

The heat.

The humidity.

The mosquitoes.

_Yeah—_he hated it. But holding Shisui's hand like this, even in public, everything he didn't like about the heat went forgotten.

The boardwalk was exclusive to the two of them that morning, but Itachi knew that spending any moment with Shisui felt privileging at best.

"Itachi," the older boy whispered when he stopped their strolling.

The gap between their foreheads was now shrinking by what seemed like elongated seconds that were too quick to savor, and too long to ignore.

Itachi loved that about him. He loved how Shisui had the ability to transform time, and to make time. And in that moment he patiently waited for those words. It's been nearly two years since they were an item after all that friendship nonsense, and he couldn't believe they were finally coming to this - where the, "I love yous" were evolving into something he'd remember for years to come.

Into something that easily translated into, "an oath."

Much like himself, Shisui was an epitome of beauty, and one of the few youthful heirs of Uchiha's second largest shares. Lean, tall, intelligent and sensuous, Itachi already knew he was too spoiled to have him as a friend. Or for a lover.

"Itachi I..."

He gulped in waiting. But the moment was suddenly cut short by his cell phone going off, and the ringing didn't know when to quit.

_And so it rang..._

_And rang..._

And kept ringing...

"_...Itachi? Are you going to get that?"_

He fluttered his eyes open and hissed.

_A dream, _and it was always the same dream with the same exact ending, but the call was a new addition to it. And it was real.

It was a little past midnight, and the ring tone was infuriating how it only seemed to be getting louder and louder.

_"...Who the fuck's calling me at this hour?"_

Fumbling for his cell parked somewhere on his nightstand, he snatched it off the charger.

Whoever it was, they'd better have a good reason for being so inconsiderate.

"Hello?"

"Itachi! Hey..." the voice on the other end said, shying away.

He smirked, already recognizing whom it was.

"Do you have any idea what time it is? **Uzumaki.**"

He didn't want to sound like it, but he was relieved it was the idiot blonde that called.

_Because had it been someone else, well..._

"Yeah but…I always thought of you as more of a late sleeper..." the boy said, and at this Itachi could almost see him pouting on the other end, still a little dumbfounded by his attitude.

And he must've been right, because Naruto then garbled, "Besides, I couldn't sleep, so…"

At this he smirked, "For the last time Uzumaki, there are no monsters under the bed."

There was a short silence on the other end, before Naruto finally groaned, "Shaddup!"

Itachi caved in, now half smiling. Coming up with a plan he surrendered, "Okay, look. Let's count up to some ridiculously high number until one of us falls asleep…that sound fair?"

"O-okay, but—"

Itachi interrupted him and yawned, "One."

"Uh, two..."

"Six," he said.

"H-HEY! That's cheating!" the blonde called out.

"I never said we'd count in order," he teased.

Again there was a short pause on the other end. By this point he was afraid that the boy might have combusted his own brain for thinking too much about the rules.

_Cute_, he thought. Naruto was a lot more fun than he'd expected. Who would've known toying with his head would be this entertaining? And thanks to his addiction to mind-rape, Naruto was getting too easy.

But the blonde took offense to it, unexpectedly saying, "You're full of shit you know that?"

He didn't say a word. Of all the things he would've expected the boy to say, he didn't expect that. Was he really full of shit? Even if that were the case, why didn't he feel insulted?

Unconsciously taking it back, Naruto sighed, "Do me a favor?"

He blinked, a little surprised that the blonde had it in him to switch moods so fast. So he asked, "Yes?"

"Let's… play for real this time…"

* * *

It was the last day of school before the weekend, and the first day following the lockdown. All eyes were on him as he walked to school that morning. Whether people were staring out of admiration or fear, he didn't know, and being the Uchiha that he was, he could care less. 

But last night was something he did seem to care about.

After the show he put on his parents during dinner, he spent the previous night strolling outside his gated community, wanting to cross ends with a wandering homicidal maniac and call it a day. But Death was cruel, Death was a tease, and so it never happened. He was still here. He was still the gifted kid to an undeserving school, a good son to an undeserving father—a walking corpse rather, and criminal at that.

He took the liberty of stopping at a local convenience store before he thought it was safe to return home, deciding to stay only at the comfort of knowing everyone else was sound asleep.

He couldn't forget about the other night, but he tried to, wanting to put all his efforts in making today as ordinary as possible.

And in seeing Sakura stationed by his locker he felt relieved, knowing that maybe some things would still be the same. But he wasn't ready for what he saw then.

It wasn't the fact that he found his locker to be out of his use that stopped him dead in his tracks, but something much more nerve-wracking.

It was Gaara—chatting animatedly with the other pink-haired bimbo.

Sasuke quickly veered away, wanting to go back home and forget all about trying to move on with his life, but the girl had a way of spotting him within a million-mile radius.

He could run all he wanted to, but he couldn't hide.

"Sasuke-kun? O-Sasuke-kuuun!"

_Game Over._

He sighed, reluctantly making his way towards the pair.

"'Morning Sakura…Gaara," he muttered.

Said boy raised a brow, not knowing how to take his tone. He wore a pink and purple striped shirt under a white short jacket, with fitted black capris set at a good length above his ankles.

It was cute, but laughably flaming, he thought. Sasuke wanted to compliment it with its deserving criticisms, but saved his tongue.

Sakura surveyed the hallway then smiled, "Ah, just a sec, Ino's here...I'll be right back."

"Un," they both grunted, eyes refusing to part from each other. And once she was out of hearing length Gaara beamed with a smile, lifting the morning newspaper at a visible distance from his view.

Gaara didn't have to, really, because he could already make out what the article was about. The large black and white photo of him in cuffs was a dead giveaway.

"Congratulations! Page Six..."

_There he goes **again.**_

"Here," Sasuke scowled, refusing to give him the attention when he pulled out a white sealed envelope from his bag. The older boy looked at him credulously, before accepting it.

"Anthrax Uchiha? You shouldn't have…"

"Just shut up and open it," he said.

Gaara slipped his forefinger beneath the flap; careful enough to slide right through the glued ends with a clean swipe. His smile faded once he pulled out a greeting card, tentatively reading its contents.

"What's this?" he asked.

"The get well card you wanted," Sasuke replied, ready for sarcasm. "Best wishes and get well soon, Gaara..."

"_Get all the help you can get, you sick fuck."_

Gaara smiled, as if Sasuke's words had only done the opposite of upsetting him.

The pink-haired brat wasn't offended. Surprisingly enough, he seemed thrilled– but why was that? He was expecting Gaara to roll his sharp tongue at him, or maybe even settle with a smack in the face, but he didn't.

Any reasonable comeback would've made sense – but this?

_This didn't make any sense!_

"So…what are you gonna do about your locker?" Ino kidded. He didn't notice when she entered the conversation along with Sakura.

"Actually, you can put your stuff in mine if you want…I don't mind," Sakura blushed, before Ino jealously bumped elbows with her.

But Gaara objected, "Sakura! Shame on you! What's a young _woooman_ without her privacy? Besides, your locker's all the way in the west wing, and Sasuke's classes are east. It's only going to be an inconvenience you know," he proclaimed with his arms in the air, as if the matter really concerned him.

"He's sharing with me."

Hearing this, he panicked, **"I am not!"**

But it was no use. The boy was persistent, already dragging him a few lockers down the hall towards his own. Sasuke sighed at this, knowing he had no choice but to surrender and suffer the fate of _The Gaara_.

_There's no way of getting rid of you... is there?_

* * *

The cafeteria was only half as crowded as usual, with the exception of Sasuke's groupie table, which now nearly doubled in size. 

Naruto figured a lot of students, Shikamaru included, used the lockdown to their advantage of missing school. He was upset at the fact that he hadn't thought of doing the same, because it was a legitimate reason to stay at home. School was a waste of his time.

Seated next to TenTen, they played another predictable game of Poker over food. It would've been more exciting if Naruto didn't keep winning at his end.

"I'm so proud of what you did yesterday," she said, pulling a few cards from the deck. "To think we have a hero in our mists…" she sighed, then played her hand. "One pair."

"Heh, I'm no hero," he said getting up from his seat while taking his turn. "Full house. Wow. You really suck at this…"

"Oi oi, here comes Naruto, Medical Extraordinaire!" Kiba shouted behind them, earning a good share of chuckles and laughs from the cafeteria.

He smiled bashfully, not knowing how to take the sudden popularity he developed.

Who would've thought that one good deed was enough to have people sharing their lunch with you, carrying your books, and wanting to take you places.

Who would've thought it was enough to—_make people actually want to be with you..._

"Na…Naruto?"

The short blonde turned at whoever called his name to spot a girl, maybe even his own age, bowing her head apologetically. For whatever reason, he didn't know. Her long dark hair contrasted the paleness of her skin, and she had bright silver eyes, which coyly scanned him up and down.

Not gorgeous, but a pretty face.

He grinned, "Yeah?"

"I-I wanted to… to thank you…for saving my life…" she struggled to tell him.

But before he could say anything against it, a medium-sized silver box with a large green bow was shoved at his face.

_A shy one indeed. _

He didn't know what else to say other than, "Thanks…but you didn't have to, uhh…"

"Uhh her name's Hinata and if you don't want it, I'll take it!" Kiba broke in, already self-permitting himself to peep at the card attached to it.

Now offended, and maybe even feeling a bit violated, he slapped his friend's hand away, protectively wrapping his arms around the box.

Kiba sucked his teeth, "Aw! Come on! I was only checkin' it out!"

"And I was just on my way out. Now if you'll excuse me…" he muttered, grabbing the petite brunette by the arm to drag her outside.

It was immature how a couple of students directed a few whistles and coos their way, he thought. This sudden popularity thing had its cons.

"You really didn't have to get me anything you know," he started, scratching the base of his head.

"I-it's o-okay. You don't o-owe me, a-anything," she stuttered.

The girl had a bad habit of looking at her feet and fiddling with her hands, and he was beginning to find it rather creepy.

"Okay…well…I guess you could feel free to eat lunch with us any time you'd like," he said, cradling the gift in his arms again.

But Hinata shook her head, saying, "M-my f-father…banned me from c-cafeteria food after…w-what happened yesterday…"

Dumbfounded by this, Naruto mouthed a word but then he laughed. Was she being serious? Either way, it was still too kooky to pass up, even for giggles.

Realizing what she said, Hinata shyly covered her lips with her hand. Naruto's laugh was contagious enough to make her laugh too.

* * *

_"Leave the Uchihas alone, got it? We can't afford covering any more of our tracks all because of you."_

Gaara was in a good mood.

No—Gaara was in a _great _mood, but sometimes his siblings chose to fuck that up somehow. Coincidentally enough, this was one of those times.

"Who said I was out to get them? And just to remind you, whatever I do is my business in the end…so fuck off," he said, pulling out one of his Marlboro reds. They were savory and hard to save at moments like these - moments where he felt anxious enough to go all out and blow something up.

"This is the third transfer this year, Gaara. I mean, the _third_ one…in a year! Don't you think that's unusual? Maybe even a little suspicious?" his sister asked, without giving him a chance to answer. "First the kids in our elementary school, father, Headmaster Chiyo…" she went on, pointing out his many faux pas with her fingers.

Gaara thought it was funny how listing some of his casualties always turned into a game of _Name That Tune. _

"…Not to mention getting that Uchiha kid arrested. Oh, we knew it was you," Kankuro added, snatching the score.

Together they must take a lot of pride in disciplining him, he thought, rolling his eyes.

"First of all, his name's Sasuke, and _secondly_, it's not my fault the 'genius' lost his guard," he said shrugging irritably, now having a hard time lighting his cigarette. "Heh. Some genius."

Close to giving up, his sister shook her head, saying, "And Pumpkin? Gaara…why?"

It was all the more reason for him to suck his teeth. He then explained, "That dumb excuse for a pet's been fucking in our backyard since we got here. About time someone got the little shit neutered."

_Poor Temari,_ he thought. _Still caught up on that stupid dog…_

And Goddammit he still couldn't get that lighter to work.

_Fuck._

"You know what _nee-san_? I think I'm done playing twenty questions here. You've had your own share of the dirt, you know. You and Kankuro, so don't act like you two are born-again Christians," he added, still flicking his lighter away. "You can tattle-tell all you want, but if you two are smart like I know you are, then you'll play it safe…"

"What do you mean?" they asked in unison.

"You don't tell anyone about what I've done and I'll stay the hell outta your way. Fair trade."

"That's not what we're getting at Gaara," his sister frowned, with a look of disappointment in her eyes. "It's…it's unfair. We didn't come here just to go back to square one." She paused to bite her lip, then she suggested, "Can't you at least try to fit in? I mean…this school's already in shambles. Hell, it's a fuckin' mess, but it doesn't deserve to be in any more shit than it already is."

Gaara laughed, "Since I can't empathize, fuck Konoha. And fuck you too."

That made them quiet for a bit, but just when Gaara thought they were about to give it a rest, they didn't.

"You weren't here yesterday…I'm sure Tsunade'll get suspicious. Gaara, what will you do then? What if your alibi's not good enough? And the cops…" Kankuro frowned, unsure of how to continue. "What if…what if they found something…" he trailed off, now having trouble finding the right words.

"You mean like forensic evidence?" he asked.

"Y-yeah."

_Silly Kankuro. He watches too much Court TV._

And when he didn't answer, Temari took another whack at prying him open.

"What if…what if Sasuke finds out?"

Gaara sighed at how easy that one was, then said, "He already knows."

"What?" they asked.

"I **said** he already knows."

_God, were they deaf? _

And when the two of them kept quiet, his lighter finally decided to cooperate, giving birth to a healthy flame out of tired sparks. The orange blaze hungrily licked the Marlboro perched from his lips where he then took a long drag, all while smiling. It was so appetizing how the warm toxins traveled down his tongue to fill his lungs with what he felt were fumes of ecstasy; the kind of tepid air you'd give a hot air balloon to take flight.

_And to fly..._

Gaara looked up at the sky, puffing a long cylinder of smoky rings in peace.

It felt nice. No better than weed, but nice.

"Looks like it's gonna rain..." he said, before flicking his cigarette over the railing and exiting the roof.

* * *

It was another uneventful day at school, subtracting the constant pampering and stalking the girls gave him. The bad-boy image was only a fangirl herder, and it really backfired on his privacy today. 

Sasuke stood outside, about a whole ten minutes earlier from his usual time, but he turned around to make sure that some little pink haired devil wasn't hiding behind one of the columns again. Instead he saw a few of his peers exit through the main door, and the school janitor getting ready to lock them out for the day.

He then spotted another boy waiting by the entrance. He was blonde and pretty, but not _Gaara_-_flaming_, and because of that Sasuke felt safe enough to lower his guard.

The blonde caught him, saying, "Hey."

"Hi," he sufficed, before remembering that he hated small talk. He quickly turned around in hopes of preventing any lame conversation from starting.

A droplet of rain hit his cheek, before he felt a gentle cluster of them begin to dampen his clothes, his books, and most importantly, his hair. It was then that he felt a large shadow cover his entire frame, magically protecting him from the rain. Wanting to know where it was coming from, he looked up to see the skeleton of a big and bright orange umbrella.

"Looks like someone came to school unprepared."

It was the blonde. At a closer inspection Sasuke saw a pair of bright blues, and he never thought he'd ever live to see eyes that colored in depth. They were so perceptible they looked as if they weren't human, almost like a digital effect that wasn't slapped on by some amateur.

"I'm Naruto by the way," he said.

"I've seen you before…" Sasuke murmured, not bothering to introduce himself.

"Maybe. I'm still kinda new around here, so I guess that makes sense. I've been up and down this school like a little mo'fo," he smiled before looking away to check the time.

Sasuke didn't want to believe it, but he thought he saw a Tweety Bird frame on the wristwatch he wore.

So the kid was new, and new kids had a bad habit of being everywhere, but that wasn't the answer he was looking for. He was right about seeing the other boy before, but someplace else. Since he couldn't put his finger on it, he chose to ignore the nagging feeling it kept giving him.

"You're in after-school?" he asked, now curious, thinking maybe this could lead to something interesting.

"Nah. It's not for me. I just wait the extra hour because that's when the bus isn't so crowded…" he said facing him again. The boy probably didn't know it, but he was very attractive. "And I don't mind really. Forces me to do my homework and whatnot."

"Ah, a procrastinator."

Naruto laughed, "Nah, just a bad student."

"Funny, I never would've guessed it," he admitted. Normally he'd lose interest with what he just heard, but somehow the other boy had a way with making him feel at ease.

"Don't you have a bus to catch?" Sasuke asked, hating to have to cut the conversation short. But it was now fifteen past, and he still saw no sign of his brother.

"Are you forgetting I'm the one with the umbrella?"

Sasuke smirked. He liked this blonde.

"You know, with kindness like that people are only going to step all over you...not that you deserve it or anything."

Naruto smiled, "True. But who said I was just being nice? I could have something in this for me you know."

At this he quirked, "Yeah, like what?"

"There you are. I've been looking all over for you…what's this about waiting for me by lab?" His brother butted in, eyes surveying him before landing on Naruto. Tilting his own umbrella, he then asked, "What are you doing with _Uzumaki_ here?"

"Huh? Anyway, I never said I'd wait for you there," Sasuke replied, a little taken aback by the sudden change in his brother's behavior.

When he had asked about the other boy, he took a turn in being much unlike himself. He sounded almost playful, as if he were already familiar with the blonde. Because of this Sasuke felt his envy surfacing again. He wasn't ready to lose a potential friend to his brother—of all people.

"Oh? Then what's this?" Itachi asked, passing down his cell.

Sasuke couldn't believe there was proof to his brother's side of the story. His eyes busied themselves on the screen, where he saw a recent text message under his name that read:

**wait 4 u by lab! its raining 2day & i dun wanna get my hair wet !**

"I never send you text messages, nevertheless write like this…you know that…" he frowned, before widening his eyes at the thought of something.

He immediately opened his schoolbag, hands frantically digging through its contents before he paled at the obvious truth.

His private cell—the one with his family members, relatives, housemaids, and his lawyer on speed dial, was missing.

**_"GAAAAAARA!"_**

* * *

**End of third chapter**

I guess I breezed by this one, but chapter four took a while to complete. Besides the fact that I was wasting away this summer . I think it's because chapters five and six will most likely be where _Leap Frog_ really begins, so four was, "preparation for the worst." I don't know. Bleeeh.

And on top of that I've been working on another fic, cause I figured I could use the practice, fufufu.

So sad.

I need a drink.

Thanks for reading, xoxo!


	4. Tell You a Secret

It's good to be back in the city. Hope everyone had a great summer. More side notes at the bottom for those who care to be in-the-know.

Anyway. Back to business I guess. 

**Disclaimer: **None of the characters belong to me. They belong to the Naruto creator, Kishimoto, Masashi.

* * *

**Chapter Four – Tell You a Secret**

The only lively thing waiting for him at home was their plasma television on mute. A game show aired, but to no audience as it animated the walls of their vintage living room, free from human shadow.

Temari and Kankuro must have taken the night out he realized, when he whistled to hear the sound of only himself echo up the stairs. Deciding to go straight to the bath, Gaara removed his shoes at the bottom of the staircase, and then stripped himself from his clothes as he walked his way to the tub. It was not the most reasonable method in putting his things away, but he couldn't remember a time when he was ever reasonable.

The shower went uneventful—lukewarm water rinsing wherever he lazily smeared soap over his body. Showering, he thought, was nowhere near as exciting as checking oneself out, which was why when he was finished he found it difficult to look away from the reflection of himself at bathroom mirror. Though the only thing that would distract him from the hobby was the sound of Sasuke's phone going off. And by the timing of the call, it felt as though the other boy was secretly watching his every move, acting upon things so accordingly that he would have expected to hear Sasuke say, _"Don't flatter yourself,"_ if he were to pick up.

_Sasuke, a spy?_ He smiled at the thought.

On his desk where he originally hid it, Sasuke's phone rang. Only this time to the sound of Rick James' _Give It To Me Baby—_he could only take so much of its chorus looping so many times that he surrendered pride to answer the phone in its fourth ring.

"Ah, Uchiha. It's collect-calling hour at prison already?" he asked, unaware that he just milked another opportunity of pulling the boy's leg. "If only you could hear your new ring tone. It's fucking hilarious."

With a greeting to match his frankness, Sasuke retorted, "What have you done with my phone? I swear if—"

"Relax, relax. It's not like I called anyone important yet."

Then there was silence on the other end. The kind he understood as Uchiha-silence, where the subliminal message behind it went something along the lines of: _I'm going to kill you._

"Uchiha…"

"What?" 

"I didn't know you had Sakura in your memory book," Gaara changed the subject, hinting that his alone time with the device hadn't gone to waste.

_The_ Sakura hadn't called the phone tonight, but he still wondered how much those two racked the bill together. Gaara had trouble believing the other boy was somehow into the pink-haired hazard, but one could never be certain. Sasuke's detached behavior around the girl told him many things, all of which were in favor of the idea that he really despised her, so he was confident that whatever attractions going on between them was one-sided at best, until now.

Gaara couldn't think of any reason Sasuke could possibly want with the girl's number other than to entertain himself with free phone sex, because what else could the two possibly have in common that they would want to exchange numbers? Though in putting Sasuke and 'sex' together, the thought of that was so scarring to his imagination that it was borderline-masochistic.

Anyone with a brain could tell that Sasuke didn't care for sex.

"About that day…" Gaara heard him say. Sasuke sounded as if he was about to apologize, but he had a feeling that the Uchihas weren't so prone to admitting their mistakes.

Fortunately for him, he could already make out what the brunette was going to say.

"Hee, how'd you find out it was me?" Gaara wanted to know. The stuffed animals that decorated his bed were tossed aside to make room, so he could then lie down and confess, _"I was very careful you know."_

Again there was silence, the same sort with the severe hidden messages.

"The day you ruined my life, you were there by my locker, watching me the whole time and I was too distracted to notice," Sasuke said in retrospect. He was calm and tactful about how to carry on, but swift. "My question is, how did an idiot like you manage to memorize my combination by looking at it once?"

"It's a secret," he giggled. This time he was really pushing it. "Anything else?"

"I have no time for games Gaara," Sasuke pressed on the other end, his patience running thin. "If word gets out that I've been set up. . ."

"Fine, fine. Tell who you want, but it's not like anyone's gonna believe you. Know why?" he asked, although there was no need for him to, since most of the time he took the liberty of answering his own questions. "Because you've got a bad enough rep as it is," he then said, but he took into consideration that the brunette wasn't the type to be discouraged by an obstacle that easy. He had to come up with something else, an offer Sasuke couldn't refuse. And so an idea struck him. "But if you insist, I'll do whatever you ask me to for a year if that's enough to hush you up."

_A year?_ Who was he shitting?

"I'm not like you Gaara."

"That's what they all say before they crack," he argued. "But I'll give you some time to think it over. And on Monday before class you'll tell me my fate, face to face."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then you'll have to deal with me again," Gaara warned him. "And just so you know, Sasuke, my plans for you are more advanced than the trouble a couple of cheap firearms can get you."

Gaara could have sworn that he heard a subtle—"_hmph"_—on the other end. So maybe, he thought, Sasuke was reconsidering his offer. Maybe there was a chance for them to move on to bigger and better things, but it was now all up to Sasuke to decide where their relationship would end up going.

And when he felt that there was nothing else they could say to each other, Gaara ended the call.

"_Think about it."  
_

* * *

It was amusing seeing the two of them together that afternoon as they slipped into being informal, comical, like celebrity siblings do on reality television. 

Because of what happened today, Sasuke's theft incident earned him the luxury of getting a ride home from his brother, Itachi. Though the ride went as far as a nearby hotel, since he had yet to feel comfortable enough to lure the wealthy heirs into his shabby neighborhood.

It wasn't until Naruto reached home that he felt at ease once more, and he was in a newfound comfort that he decided to take out on knitting, something he hadn't done in a while.

Naruto crocheted some orange and white yarn together while he read the town's newspaper—a first for him—and _Page Three_'s article about Sasuke had his eyes glued to the paper. Not only was the column noticeable by its big size, it was carefully constructed of words that ripped the young boy to shreds in every snippet. From questioning their Senator's credibility to Sasuke's brief arrest, the writer, credited as being someone by the penname _HYUUGA, _sounded as though he or she were thrilled about smearing the Uchiha name.

Naruto didn't understand politics and he most certainly didn't understand the politics of Konoha. And Hyuuga? He could have sworn he heard the name before, but even if he had, he wasn't open to believing that they were as big a name as 'Uchiha.' After all, how many familial monarchs could one small town handle?

But before he could find an answer to that, he felt a strange wave of exhaustion coming in, one he could blame on the fact that it's been six hours since he last ate.

His kitchen clock went off. The mechanical sounds of birds chirped to tell him that it was only seven past noon, too soon for someone his age to want to go straight to bed for the night. But there was nothing else he could do to past time, other than to think about his crocheting project and work—something he groaned about, since his first workday was on a Saturday.

"Well shit. Tomorrow's Saturday," Naruto told no one in particular.

He wanted to call Itachi and share another memorable game of, "Count to the Impossible."

He wanted to hear the young man's voice again before calling it a night, but he was afraid he was coming too forward on the guy. His blonde hair was already a stereotypical curse to his intelligence, but what he didn't want was to live up to the expectations of being dumb and annoying.

Naruto blankly stared at the wall across the room. Had there been a television set, his eyes would've found better interest. But watching TV now would only worsen the headache he was experiencing.

Bothering Itachi again would have to wait he sighed, because a nice hot bowl of thick noodles could do him a hell of a lot more good tonight.

* * *

Itachi hated golf. 

It was becoming a trend he could say; hating anything there was to everything yet getting involved with everything that he hated. And with that said five times fast, his life was more or less like the representation of a tongue twister—everything was fucked up once they got repetitive.

Yet here he stood, on one of his most hated Saturday mornings, waiting to start a match-game of golf with his father and another "father-son" team he loathed.

The Hyuugas were invited to their court this time around, another one of his father's attempts to purify any bad blood between them, or as he believed, an effort to worsen things.

Although they were in the brink of September, the day was sunny and warm, perfect for any outdoor sport. But his golf club thought otherwise as it grew uncomfortably heavy in his hands once the Hyuugas entered the field, carrying just as much flare and wealth on their backs.

Even as the surrogate son, Neji captured so much of his uncle to be recognized as more than just his nephew. Long, silky brown hair always adorned his pale face, possibly ever since he was brought into the world—he couldn't remember. It's been so long since he'd last seen the boy with short hair that it felt as though Neji came out of the womb with a head full of it. And with bursting lips to match, the young man was perfection completed at birth, a common denominator for those raised in old wealth such as he.

And like his father who was now deceased, Neji possessed the same silver eyes only Hyuugas were commonly known to have. Usually they would carry some sort of neutrality to his facade, except today the boy seemed upset over something. As to whatever it was, it became a troubled look that was immediately chased away once their eyes met.

On days like today he felt impartial about the heir, for they never carried themselves past a simple bow and handshake. Neji's uncle however was another story.

"Nice day for golf eh? Ready to lose in your own court Uchiha?" The game hasn't even started yet, and he was already being so cocky.

But this was how it always began, he remembered. Hyuuga would compliment the weather, tip his golf cap, then gallingly predict the future.

_What a dick..._

"I'll do the honor of showing you true Uchiha magic in this field, Hyuuga," his father replied. But it didn't help make him sound any better of a man.

Although rare, their immaturity was nauseating. And out of protest Itachi immediately started the game, where they then silenced themselves to watch his ball disappear after a good several yards of flight into the air. It was a decent start, except for one thing. When they all met up by the hole where they expected to find the ball, he felt that familiar numbness that has always haunted him alongside his success—the awkward, tingling sensation of boredom.

Neji and his uncle stood in silence as they continued to stare at the hole, an act done more out of custom rather than amazement.

"I was lucky," he told them casually, as if luck could possibly be a substitute for talent. He didn't want to sound egotistical, but why did he have to be good at everything?

"Wouldn't call that luck boy." Hyuuga sounded doubtful, as if suggesting that he might have cheated. And if it were of his best interest to go through the trouble of fixing a game of golf, then he would have given the man credit for assuming something that outrageous.

Upset and aloof, Itachi dumped his club to the ground and walked away from the game.

"Wait! Where are you going? We haven't even finished our play," his father called at his back. And it should have made him felt like he was doing something wrong, like the game actually mattered to him, but it didn't.

_We?_—he wanted to say, and what a start for an argument since there was no "_we"_ in _Itachi_ or _Uchiha_.

Partnership was never part of their vocabulary. He knew it, his father knew it, and so did everyone else who knew him, but he wasn't going to make any more of a scene in front of their guests, Hyuugas in particular.

So Itachi went back to putting up a front. _"I just remembered. I need to be somewhere." _

"Like where?"

"Like home," he stressed, putting an end to their small talk.

By the time he felt that he was a good distance away from them, Itachi stopped and turned to look at the field. He could see how Neji was entertaining the other men with one of his practice swings, and they were all so engaged in what they were doing that it gave him a firsthand look at how easily he was forgotten. Did his father really care if he stayed? It was so hard to tell from what he was seeing. But why, much to his surprise, wasn't he the least bit saddened by it?

When the final reigns of summer would be over and his father's fields would be buried in snow, preventing any balls to be putt or holes to fill, would he then care? Would that then be enough to make him _miss_ this?

Itachi tried to think of anything he truly liked about golf, but quickly realized how impossible it was for him to, because it was something he had done before and he would always come up with nothing.

Winter promised a game-less season where there would be no father-son Saturdays. It also guaranteed months that would be spent without climate golf and the Hyuugas, something he was very much looking forward to.

But once the weather came to kill the sport, what next? It wasn't like he could foresee any other opportunity at happiness—_because nothing in this world could make him happy._

* * *

Gaara's little game of making his life a living hell was beginning to wear him out. Though what was more upsetting was the fact that not only did he fall for his pranks once, but twice. And at this point of their feud, Sasuke feared it was becoming more evident that he would never be able to redeem his dignity from _The Gaara._

Though he had to admit that yesterday wasn't as bad as he was making it out to be, save for the new boy he met at school. The boy with the wild eyes—Naruto, was the name.

In bed with his legs crossed, Sasuke couldn't help but daydream about the previous day. He still couldn't forget those eyes Naruto had, brilliant sapphire eyes that have left him feeling compelled, nauseous. And had there been anything to tell, they clearly spoke a language that could only communicate those truths, an understandable excuse for getting yourself lost whilst looking at them.

Their school was repulsively crowded for one, so chances were that he might never get to see the other boy again. And it was discouraging to know since he couldn't wait to have another inviting conversation with the blonde, or to go into another one of those dizzy spells by gazing into those wild eyes. Sasuke wanted anything that could help bring them closer together.

But given those circumstances, what could they have done as acquaintances? Or better yet, what could they have done as friends? Did Naruto even enjoy social outings and golf?

_Naruto and golf._ The thought of that startled him, but he smiled at the scenario.

The blonde didn't look like a golfer. Hell, Sasuke wasn't convinced that the boy was even part of his league, but that was what was so fascinating about him. Naruto was a little rough around the edges, but safe. Someone who was pure and comfortable with himself. Perhaps even naïve, but guaranteed not to be boring; all traits that were so unlike anyone else he had met.

Oh god, he thought. He was obsessed with the boy. But why, when they had only met once? It was strange. Not to mention very awkward to the point that he tried to think of something else, and go back to what he was originally doing.

He glanced at the dangerously provocative spread on his lap as a distraction, a glamour shot of two young males he forgot about when he spaced out.

The models on the page looked no older than his brother, but they possessed a latent sense of maturity that was believable due to their nudity. They were beautiful, dark-haired beings—one fair, the other tanned. Sort of like a yin and yang, they were opposites complimenting each other.

And the way they looked like they were about to kiss was stunning. Inspiring even.

Sasuke had never kissed anyone before, never even came close to it. But he didn't need the experience to know what it would be like for he already knew. Countless spreads have told him that a kiss from a lover's lips could only be sugary-sweet, with an aftertaste of freedom. _An inexplicable encounter with love that required teamwork when given the chance. . ._

At this he sighed. Was it wrong to think of it that way? Somehow he couldn't help but feel that his pent up romanticisms were more fitting for someone like Sakura. Or Naruto, now an ironic subject, since he was doing exactly what he was trying not to—think about Naruto.

Though it wasn't like he was going to be punished for it. In fact it was harmless to think about the boy, because Sasuke knew that his thoughts were a secret to everyone else but him. So nostalgically, without shame this time, he thought back to the moment he first met Naruto. But then he discovered that there was something very odd yet obvious about the blonde that he shouldn't have overlooked.

Naruto's brightly colored umbrella, his cartoonish watch and his whimsical smile. Even his shy glances that made their way towards his brother, and how it all made sense.

_Yes._ It wasn't until Itachi came into the picture that he felt something was different about the air. Something he couldn't quite put his finger on, until now.

_Was Naruto gay? Like Itachi. . ._

Without even wanting to, he thought back five seasons ago, to the night that he felt it and understood it; the overwhelming sense of adrenaline that not even a homoerotic photograph could ever have the capacity of showing him. The lonely night where, he couldn't sleep, even in fetal position as his heartbeat hummed a fearful pace—all in consequence for peeking at his brother's raw and intimate lovemaking with his best friend, a male.

And what a performance they gave the stars he remembered, perhaps all too well, since he was already reliving the sights and sounds produced that night. In the way that earth was caste as their mattress, how their bodies collided in lustful, needy rhythms; and with their cries loud and not giving a fuck. . .how could he forget?

Itachi's affair with his best friend became a secret he's kept for more than a year, the only truth about his brother that has left him feeling ashamed and confused. Though he could say that he was partially to blame for it, since it was his decision to stay silent about his brother's sudden change in behavior. He chose not to tell anyone about the nights his brother spent out in the garden, doing one of those typical, wild things he thought teenage boys would do after dark.

He didn't want to have to think of Naruto in that way, as someone who would want to do things—filthy things with his brother or any other person of the same sex. And he felt this way not only because it made him uncomfortable, but also because he feared he would enjoy it.

If there were anything he didn't want to inherit from his brother it would be his homosexuality. When Sasuke first found out the truth about his brother's relationship with his friend, he took the blow quite hard. But their parents, who were so conformed to classic traditions; how would they react if they knew?

Somehow the notion that they were brothers allowed him to look past that imperfection. It was enough to make Sasuke try to forget and to protect his brother by staying quiet about it.

But Naruto? He knew of nothing to help secure his conscience about the blonde. Nothing about his family, his friends, or his past.

Naruto was a stranger to him, he disclosed. Thus whatever known respects he had for the boy were now crumpled up and thrown into his memory's wastebasket.

There was no chance in hell that they could ever become friends, nonetheless acquaintances.

"_I hate you. . .Naruto."_

* * *

The clock reminded him that his shift was almost over, as its needle routinely traveled its way around twelve to produce a good whole five minutes. 

_Konoha Pharmacy_ was located in the better parts of town, where the dog-sitters and nannies did most of their day shopping. The aisles were kept spotless, quiet. And the workload was far less hectic than his old job so he always had to search for some work to do. It was better than waiting for someone to call for his assistance.

"Na-Naruto?" 

He turned to where the voice came from. And with a face to match the sound he then recognized the customer. "Ah, Hinata!"

"I-I didn't know. . .you worked here," Hinata told him, or rather the floor.

"Yeup, starting today," he smiled. The girl was still helpless when it came to conversation so he took the responsibility of changing that. "But my shift's almost over. You need anything in my last, uh. . .two minutes?"

"Un…un, w-well…"

"Psst, it's okay," he mused, his voice lowering to a whisper. "If it's birth control you need, you can just say so. I'm not here to judge, you know."

"A-actually I-I'm not—"

"This one's really popular, at least that's the impression I've been getting while I was here." He was quick to select a box from the shelf nearby and the girl kindly accepted it, saying nothing. "I'll check that for you."

"N-Naruto!" she said, then froze at the notion that she didn't like the way that she raised her voice at him. The counter was what occupied her wandering eyes, where she subsequently took a moment to feel safe enough to add, "D-did you…did you like the present I gave you?"

_Right_, he remembered. Her present. The one he felt too intimidated to unwrap the other night. He remembered leaving it on his kitchen counter (or was it the kitchen sink?), still uncovered from its blatantly expensive foil and ribbons.

Naruto could always say that he liked it, and that he was very thankful for her generosity. But with the time he was taking in finding her an answer, to flat out lie about it now would only give himself away.

"Oh…I didn't open it yet," he started with a pang of guilt. Unsure about the girl's tolerance to bad news he then coaxed, "But I will today. When I get home. I promise."

"Un. . ."

And that was it. Nothing more was said between them, not even as she continued to stare at him while he punched himself out for the day. The girl had a way of making people feel as though they were being watched, probably because she stared more than she talked. It was a feeling that escaped him once he got outside, though it wasn't until Naruto entered the supermarket nearby that he realized he wasn't the only one shopping for the same groceries. Hinata was still following him.

At this he grinned. Then he turned to her. "Hey you, are you stalking me?"

Caught off guard with an apple in her hand, Hinata violently shook her head. "I-I. . .w-we didn't say our goodbyes so. . .I-I thought y-you meant..."

"You thought I meant for you to follow me?" he laughed. "No big deal. Cause since I know you I really don't care what you do. Now unless you're some creepy old guy following me around, then we'd have a problem."

Together they laughed. Though it was only a matter of time before their shopping for groceries together went back in silence.

"Hey, what do you think about The Leafs? Especially Itachi leading. . .don't you think he's amazing?" Naruto grinned, although he felt like he was talking with himself again. "But I doubt he'd ever go major league once he graduates. He looks like he has a lot on his plate already…"

And it was true. Itachi always looked so busy, particularly when he would skip lunch to bury himself with textbooks and note taking. Being that excellence was something he only strove for, it seemed like the young man had an incurable addiction to learning.

Though as if to disagree, Hinata looked at him funny.

"Um…N-Naruto," she said.

"Mnnn yeah?"

"Uchiha, Itachi…"

And by the worried look in her eyes, his smile wavered. Whatever it was that she had to say, he wasn't sure if he wanted to know, or if it was meant for him to know. His instincts were telling him that it could be anything but good news. _Curiosity killed the cat_, he thought, and right now he felt like a fat cat clinging on the edge of a cliff.

"Uchiha, Itachi, he…he g-graduated t-three years ago," she admitted ominously.

He paused at this, taking a moment to register everything she said.

_Say what?_

Idle in thought, he felt a chill run down his entire body, as if he had dove in headfirst into a lake marinated with icebergs. Confusion, anger, and even betrayal unexpectedly crossed his emotions. And for what, he didn't quite know, or understand why. All he knew was that he hated to be himself right now.

_Itachi graduated?_ And the words: _three years ago?_

In putting everything together so he could make some sense out of the surprise, he dropped his groceries, terrifying the girl when he replaced his calm pretense with, _**"EEEEEEHHHHHHHHH?"**_

* * *

**End of Chapter**

**First of all**, I would like to start out by saying—_thank you!_—to the people who have offered their kind words of encouragement to me.

In writing _Leap Frog_, I had some difficulty sticking to one set of cultural values, since it's "Naruto" and all, but I guess I've already made it bicultural from the beginning?

The issue of birth control is like a retarded social 'taboo' like so many others in Japan that I incorporated a more Western, liberal approach to it – ha. Anyone who knows this might have appreciated the Hinata and Naruto scene a little more. . .

**In addition:**

I've had no beta for this story, just a close friend who cared to be the first to read what I've been up to.

Long story short, I'm still trying to get over the loss of said friend since last fall—a very talented, professional, beautiful person I loved and admired. I've always been picky about my writing, but now that he's gone I'll be honest and say that I've been nervous about sharing it with anyone. In its early draft, this was the last chapter he had the chance to read before the incident. . .and I'm guilty of holding on to it compulsively.

Anyway, I still care (deeply) to entertain others so I've always been anxious to get this story moving. It was. . .what he wanted as well, which is why I super skimmed through it tonight with that in mind. So I apologize for the quality. . .

And as long as I still exist I do plan on finishing what I started, and more - hopefully at a more consistent rate.

Oh. And as always, thanks for reading.


End file.
